LIFE HISTORY VARIATION IN THE SALAMANDER DESMOGNA THUS QUADRAMACULA TUS

Abstract

Age at metamorphosis and age at first reproduction were studied in three populations of Desmognathus quadramaculatus in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern North Carolina. Four age classes of larvae were identified in all three populations through the analysis of size distributions. The frequency of early metamorphosis at 3 yr or even 2 yr varied considerably among the populations. This variation was reflected in the size distributions of both larvae and post-metamorphic juveniles. The minimum age at first reproduction was estimated to be 6 yr in males and 7 yr in females in all three populations. Age at metamorphosis and age at first reproduction probably vary independently in D. quadramaculatus. It appears that interspecific variation in adult body size in the genus Desmognathus is correlated positively with age at first reproduction and may not reflect variation in growth rates.